District A Minden City Councilman Carlton “Buddy” Myles has been disqualified from taking his seat when the 2027 Minden City Council is sworn in after the Louisiana Board of Ethics determined he owed an outstanding campaign finance fine when he qualified for office.
Myles, who was unopposed after qualifying closed August 7, owed a $500 fine related to the late filing of 2025 supplemental campaign finance disclosure reports stemming from his candidacy in the October 12, 2019, election.
Louisiana law allows a candidacy challenge when a candidate falsely certifies that he does not owe outstanding campaign finance fines.
Myles said the failure to pay the fine before qualifying was “honestly, an oversight on my end.”
According to the Board of Ethics’ lawsuit, Myles paid the $500 fine August 10, three days after qualifying closed. The board confirmed receipt of the payment August 11.
Myles’ current term ends December 31. Under the process outlined in the lawsuit, the incoming city council would have 20 days to appoint someone to fill the vacancy before a special election is held for the remainder of the four-year term..
Louisiana law provides that a municipal governing authority may appoint one of its members to fill a vacancy, but a person so appointed generally is not eligible to qualify in the next election for that office.
Therefore, if the new council appoints Myles to fill the District A vacancy, he would generally be barred from qualifying for the special election. If he is not appointed and the seat proceeds to a special election, his payment of the outstanding fine would remove that particular obstacle to qualifying.
The exact date of any special election has not yet been announced.